Friday 17 September 2010

HELP KEEP "SHEDRACK, MESCHACK & ABEDNEGO" ALIVE IN IRAN!

HELP KEEP "SHEDRACK, MESCHACK & ABEDNEGO" ALIVE IN IRAN!

Remember the three Hebrew children in the Bible?
How can you ever forget! They capture the imagination easily.
They thrill us with their courage and the tenacity with which they held on to their faith.
They were given a choice between, as we say these days, bowing or burning.
It's what the Americans would call a "no brainer". In other words, you
don't need Self Preservation 101 to make the right choice!
But, Shedrack, Meschack and Abednego were "hare-brained" enough to make the "wrong" choice and
ended up in Nebchadnezzar's burning fiery furnace. But, of course, you know that wasn't the end of the story.
They were thrown in the fire alright, but as the book of Daniel recorded it in chapter three, they did not burn.

Now, if you thought that was just a Bible story, please allow me the pleasure and "pain" of presenting to you,
these three modern day equivalents. George Whitten of Worthy News reported their plight in a September 13 report as follows:
"Three Christians are being threatened with the death penalty if they do not renounce their Christian faith and revert to Islam, a well-informed Christian network reported Monday, September 13.
Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN), which has close ties with Christians in Iran, said the three Iranian Christians, residents of the city of Mashhad, were charged with apostasy and have been jailed since July 28 this year.

The Christians, who FCNN only identified as Reza, also known as Stephen, his wife Maria, and Ehsan Behrooz were reportedly ambushed and arrested while traveling from the city of Mashhad to Bojnoord to attend a Christian worship service.
FCNN said up to 15 other Christians arrested with them were released after one week when they posted bail and signed written promises to the government 'to refrain from and renounce' their Christian faith. However, Stephen, Maria, and Ehsan reportedly refused to sign the document.

FCNN quoted unidentified sources as saying that the families of the Christians were informed that 'after more than 50 days of re-conversion efforts back to Islam through means of torture and solitary confinement' they remained unwilling to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ.
Iranian government officials reportedly demand that the families, during court-approved visitations, must persuade their loved ones to renounce their Christian faith and embrace Islam once again.
The families were informed if their loved ones refuse to cooperate with the government, charges of apostasy will be upheld, and they will be tried on these charges in an upcoming court session, FCNN said.

Iranian officials have not commented. However, under Iran's strict Islamic law, the charge of "apostasy", or converting from Islam to another religion, attracts the penalty of death by hanging if found guilty by the Islamic court. In 1990, Reverend Soodmand was executed by the same district court.

In a recent ranking of countries in which Christians are most persecuted, Iran ranked second only to North Korea, according to advocacy group Open Doors."

Now, how about that?! Dear reader, do you think you can do something about this situation? As for me and my household, we are praying to God to extend to the Iran Three and many more like them accross the globe, the deliverance that He wrought for the Hebrew Trio. Will you please join your faith with ours? It is my birthday today (Friday, September 17); please make this your birthday gift to me. Together we can shame the devil again. Thank you - so very much.

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